Media Contacts:
Wide Open Performance: Thomas Underdahl,
E-mail: tom@wideopenbrands.com
Tel.: (973) 399-0101.
Andersen Racing: Linda Mansfield,
E-mail: LKMRestart@gmail.com
Tel.: (317) 201-0729
Wide Open Performance Introduces
Revolutionary Infused Calcium Technology
For Beverages Via Marketing Program
With Andersen Racing
PALMETTO, Fla., Sept. 30 - Wide Open Performance and Infused Calcium
Technologies have teamed up with Andersen Racing to promote calcium-enhanced
beverages in Firestone Indy Lights, the official development series of the IZOD
IndyCar Series, beginning with this weekend's season finale at
Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla.
The marketing program is called Racing 4 Bone Health.
Infused Calcium Technologies (ICT), based in Irvington, N.J., developed the
technology to dissolve calcium in beverages. Wide Open Performance, which
is based in Abingdon, Va., has an energy drink, teas, bottled water and
cranberry juice in the marketplace. Wide Open Performance's most recent product
development includes ICT's technology for its lines of teas and calcium
waters that will be in the marketplace later in 2010.
The companies are using Andersen Racing's teams to bring awareness not only
to its beverages but also to the global health concern of osteoporosis, a
disease in which bones become increasingly brittle and subject to fracture
due to a lack of calcium as one ages. The U.S. Surgeon General reported in
2004 that about 12 million people over the age of 50 have osteoporosis and
another 40 million are at risk. By 2020 those figures are expected to increase
to 14 million cases of osteoporosis and over 47 million cases of low bone
mass. Similarly, in Asia the median dietary calcium intake is about 450 mg
daily, which is much less than the World Health Organization's
daily-recommended intake of 1,000 to 1,300 mg.
The companies' decals will be displayed on Andersen Racing's No. 4
Firestone Indy Lights car this weekend at Homestead, which is being driven by Sean
Guthrie.
The marketing program will also feature Andersen Racing in promotional
posters. In addition, Wide Open Performance's beverages will also be sold to
karters and corporate karting participants at Andersen RacePark, a 1-mile road
course in Palmetto, Fla. where the team is headquartered.
"After several years of development I am pleased to announce that this
relationship can serve as a catalyst to not only bring awareness to the global
menace of osteoporosis, but also to help increase the dialogue between
medical professionals and patients for the testing, treatment and prevention
thereof," said Thomas Underdahl, founder and chief executive officer of Wide Open
Performance and director of ICT. "By being able to deliver 500 mg of
completely absorbable calcium in each 20-ounce bottle of water beverages, we can
make a difference by encouraging our customers to not only stay hydrated,
but to intake the daily recommended calcium requirement at the same time.
"I cannot thank Dr. Rifat Parvez, a formulation scientist, enough for his
dedicated effort in the past four years to make this technology happen,"
Underdahl continued. "By combining this technology with the global sport of
auto racing we can make a difference to help reduce the incidence of
osteoporosis."
"Our technology is flexible enough to be applied to multiple products,"
said Dr. Parvez. "This technology is revolutionary because it solubilizes the
otherwise insoluble calcium and makes it completely assimilated by the body,
which is something that has never been accomplished before."
"We hope the Racing 4 Bone Health program brings attention to ways to
battle the problem of osteoporosis," said Dan Andersen, Andersen Racing's chief
executive officer. "Racing has long been a showplace for the newest
technology and drivers are always searching for ways to improve their physical
conditioning. We hope that racing's 'wide-open' lifestyle will encourage the
public to get the recommended amount of calcium daily, and will contribute to
improving the health of people around the world for years to come."
For more information on Wide Open Performance, see wideopenbrands.com.
For more information on Andersen Racing, which is sponsored by Allied
Building Products Corp., see andersenracing.com.